Program News

February
27
2020

U.S. Newsrooms Receive Expert Mentorship, Financial Support to Boost Digital Video

Twenty-one local news organizations in the U.S. are learning how to boost engagement and revenue using digital video, as part of an initiative from the Facebook Journalism Project and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) that is already seeing results in other parts of the world.

February
26
2020

ICFJ Partner OCCRP Wins Global Data Journalism Award for Cross-Border Investigative Project

An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) that exposed a complex financial system that enabled corruption by Russian oligarchs and politicians won the 2020 Sigma Award for best data-driven reporting. OCCRP is a long-time partner of ICFJ.  

February
6
2020

Women Data Journalists are Reshaping Africa’s Story and Their Own Careers

A growing network of African women journalists is leading data-driven projects that are  elevating female voices and shedding light on under-reported stories. The pan-African network, known as WanaData Africa, is changing the continent’s digital media landscape by reshaping the careers of its members, redefining them as newsroom innovators.

January
16
2020

Citizen Journalism Platform Uses Bluetooth to Bring News to Media-Dark Villages in India

In today’s media ecosystem, the technology industry sets the rules of the games, with journalism outlets constantly playing catch-up. There is a collective failure of imagination in the media industry to reimagine the future on our own terms, and then go about creating that future.

December
10
2019

From a Fledgling Blog to a Vibrant News Group, Agencia Mural Reports on the Poorest in Brazil

In 2010, Vagner de Alencar took a journalism course by ICFJ Knight Fellow Bruno Garcez and became a blogger for a citizen journalism site launched by Garcez to cover São Paulo's favelas. Almost 10 years later, the blog has grown into a well-respected news site and Alencar is now co-director of Agencia Mural, overseeing almost 90 correspondents in dozens of favelas around the massive city.

September
10
2019

Data Journalism Project Sheds Light on Child Health in Kenya

Journalist Verah Okeyo, one of the first recipients of the inaugural ICFJ Alumni Reporting Grants, didn’t just notice that fellow Kenyans were frustrated with their medical care — she believed news outlets in her country were failing to comprehensively cover the health issues people were facing. 

September
2
2019

Dynamic Fact-Checking Strategy Boosts Audience Reach and Trust in Indonesia

In 2017, Indonesia held one of its most polarized regional elections ever and news outlets found themselves at a loss for ways to counter the wide circulation of false information. But by the 2019 presidential election, an Indonesian publisher had developed a dynamic platform to help citizens distinguish lies from truth with help from ICFJ Truthbuzz Fellow Astudestra Ajengrastri.

August
16
2019

Brazilian Publisher Credits Video Accelerator for Audience Growth

For the past few years, news publishers have pointed to online video as the next frontier — so much so that, beginning in 2015, many reorganized their entire newsrooms. This “pivot to video,” as it was dubbed, was so widespread that some newsrooms even laid off editorial staff to make room for video. But few achieved the success they had hoped for. 

July
30
2019

Brazilian Men’s Magazine Analyzes Reader Comments to Prove its Vast Impact

While online comments aren’t always known for civility, a digital men’s magazine in Brazil has used its comments section to build a thriving and supportive community that improves readers’ lives. Now, thanks to help from ICFJ Knight Fellow Pedro Burgos, the news outlet has the numbers to prove it.

July
29
2019

Air quality sensors aid coverage of health and environment in Africa

A project that uses low-cost air quality sensors to monitor air pollution in seven major African cities is providing data that journalists are using for the first time to enhance coverage of related health and environmental concerns.